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If you are worried you may have a cavity – there is no reason to be concerned.
Effectively treating tooth decay is one of the more commonly performed restorative procedures at Smiles 4 Grant Park in Atlanta, GA. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Abbey J. Lee can restore your smile with a tooth-colored filling in just one office visit. Unlike silver amalgam fillings, this restorative procedure uses composite resin carefully tinted to match the natural shade of your tooth to reveal realistic results and repair a tooth without detracting from the beauty of your smile. Results are so natural-looking that most people will be unaware you even have a filling.

Why We Use Composite Resin

Composite resin is an affordable and minimally invasive solution to repairing a decayed or damaged tooth. Made from a combination of acrylic and ceramic materials, its putty-like consistency is carefully tinted to match the patient’s smile and then applied in layers over the damaged tooth with precise detail. Once Dr. Lee is satisfied with the shape, she will harden the resin using a special curing light to restore the tooth back to full function.

Tooth-colored fillings not only provide aesthetically pleasing results, but compared to silver amalgam fillings, require less tooth structure to be removed and eliminate your risk for mercury poisoning, making them a much safer alternative to repairing your smile.

Dr. Lee will recommend a dental filling when less than 50% of a tooth is damaged. In cases where there is more damage, you may benefit more from an inlay or onlay or dental crown. If you are concerned you may have a cavity, common symptoms to be aware of include, dental sensitivity to hot, cold, or sugary foods, chronic or acute dental pain, and visible holes in the outer structure of the tooth (enamel).

The Tooth-Colored Filling Procedure

If a cavity is detected during your routine cleaning and examination, Dr. Lee can provide a same-day tooth-colored filling in under an hour, minimizing your need for an additional follow-up appointment. At Smiles 4 Grant Park, we use DIAGNOdent technology to detect the earliest signs of tooth decay. Before beginning the procedure, she will numb the tooth and surrounding tissues with a local anesthetic. In cases where stronger sedation is needed, she can administer nitrous oxide or oral conscious sedation.

Once you are relaxed and the area is numb, Dr. Lee will use special dental instruments to remove the unhealthy bacteria and carefully clean the tooth to ensure all the infection is removed. Although this treatment requires less enamel removal than silver amalgam fillings, she will gently reshape the tooth to ensure the composite resin fits securely to your tooth. When the tooth is adequately prepared, she will use a shade guide to tint the resin and begin applying the resin, molding it to match the tooth’s natural structure. In between each layer, a curing light will be used to harden the resin to provide optimum durability. Finally, Dr. Lee will trim any excess resin and polish your smile to reveal a beautifully restored smile.